Chances of a classic Darkhorse year?

[AUght2win 6,827]

I think we are gonna take another back from the portal. Not too worried about that.

[Carnell 592]

20 hours ago, AUght2win said:

It isn't either-or. It's not like if we are good this year it will hinder us in the long run. Those other coaches' failures were their inability to keep the momentum going and keep moving forward. 

Normal situations you are right that the two events are not mutually exclusive but this is Auburn we are talking about.  Anyway I was responding to those posts that mention that mentioned Bowden and gus first year success. 

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

Actually, I think Bo will have a much better year this year for a couple of reasons. First it’s his 3rd year so he is maturing. 2nd we won’t be calling silly plays that Gus had. Early on they fooled some folks but not so over the last few years. We won in those years despite Gus not because of Gus. And finally Pat was allowed to have to much influence on Bo the first two years, probably to a deal he made with Gus to bring Bo to Auburn. Now Bo can be an instrumental part of the offense and not have to try and be the offense by himself or be showcased. Bo has talent, that is a given. I think with a real OC like Bobo, Bo will find a higher mark. My only concern at the moment is at receiver. We lost some serious talent and while we have some great players left, they will need to step up their game big time. The OL is also a concern, especially in their ability as a functional unit. They all have the ability but there needs to be a better bond. That can only come with time. Defensively, I think we can look for a really good year. The DL,LB and DBs  all look extremely talent and deep. I like the new coaches and the style they play with. I think CDM maybe one of the best defensive minds in college today. Look for a lot o f different formations and attacks from this defense. ST is still a ? In my book.   

Edited March 23, 2021 by Eagle Eye 7

[bigbird 60,443]

21 hours ago, penguin149 said:

Gus would have easily been 8-4 in 2020 if not for the 'rona.

Solid!

[CleCoTiger 1,957]

First, let me say I'm posting this now but come the season, I'll do what I always do and pick our Tigers to win every game.

That out of the way, as much as I want to believe that our Tigers turn in another dark horse/first year head coach performance and defy all expectations, I just don't see it at this time. What I see is five or possibly six losses. Those losses would be Penn State, Georgia, aTm, LSU, Alabama for five, and if six, either Ole Miss or MSU. That's not because I think Harsin is a bad coach or Bobo or Mason are bad coordinators. I just don't think we have the players to pull off a nine or ten win season. (But ya know, Pat Dye didn't pull off a winning season his first year at AU and that turned out pretty OK. ) 

 

Hope I'm wrong. And like I said, come the season, I'll pick the Tigers to win every game.

War Eagle!

Edited March 24, 2021 by CleCoTiger

[GwillMac6 20,656]

10 hours ago, fredst said:

Now you’ve done it. @GwillMac6gonna be curled up in the fetal position after another reminder of our failures in Red Stick

[aubiefifty 16,735]

i saw on  finebaum some cat did a "best" 25 coaches in college football and coach harsin has not made that list yet. why is he not getting that much love? i am curious and not bashing at all. he seems to be making the right moves and has a great plan moving forward. they even already seem to have bo showing improvement on his mechanics so why does it seem many are holding back? is it because he is in a stronger and harder conference? i would really like to know why that is? anyone got any wise opinions?

[bigbird 60,443]

23 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

i saw on  finebaum some cat did a "best" 25 coaches in college football and coach harsin has not made that list yet. why is he not getting that much love? i am curious and not bashing at all. he seems to be making the right moves and has a great plan moving forward. they even already seem to have bo showing improvement on his mechanics so why does it seem many are holding back? is it because he is in a stronger and harder conference? i would really like to know why that is? anyone got any wise opinions?

The heart of college football is in the south and midwest. Coaches from the coast typically don't get the exposure or  recognition that those in the SEC, Big10, or Big12 get. 

[Hank2020 3,196]

On 3/22/2021 at 3:05 PM, Carnell said:

Sick of these so called one hit wonders that end getting fired as Bowden and Malzahn.  Would rather somebody come in an prepare us for the long term even if we have to take lumps in the first couple of years..

Definitely agree with this post.

[McLoofus 35,182]

48 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

i saw on  finebaum some cat did a "best" 25 coaches in college football and coach harsin has not made that list yet. why is he not getting that much love? i am curious and not bashing at all. he seems to be making the right moves and has a great plan moving forward. they even already seem to have bo showing improvement on his mechanics so why does it seem many are holding back? is it because he is in a stronger and harder conference? i would really like to know why that is? anyone got any wise opinions?

What Bird said, but also none of what Harsin has done here has yielded so much as a first down, much less a win. He's going to have to earn it. Also, he basically met expectations at Boise. Probably unfair and highly so, but Petersen raised their bar mighty high. And we all know that once that bar is raised, it doesn't really go back down in terms of expectations. Furthermore, I think Boise fans on average weren't heartbroken to see Harsin go. Not saying they disliked him, but he wasn't their saban or Spurrier. So it's no surprise that the media are waiting to see him do it at a higher level. 

[AUwent 3,747]

7 hours ago, McLoofus said:

What Bird said, but also none of what Harsin has done here has yielded so much as a first down, much less a win. He's going to have to earn it. Also, he basically met expectations at Boise. Probably unfair and highly so, but Petersen raised their bar mighty high. And we all know that once that bar is raised, it doesn't really go back down in terms of expectations. Furthermore, I think Boise fans on average weren't heartbroken to see Harsin go. Not saying they disliked him, but he wasn't their saban or Spurrier. So it's no surprise that the media are waiting to see him do it at a higher level. 

I’m just very highly skeptical of Harsin as a hire. If we had gotten Napier I’d be psyched. It truthfully dors not feel like our athletics program is in a good place right now, with Coop likely gone and the GOAT athletic year UAT has had. Who knows when (if) the NCAA will allow on campus visits again which we so desperately need.

And to think that just two years ago our AD was on fire.

Edited March 24, 2021 by AUwent

[Hank2020 3,196]

35 minutes ago, AUwent said:

I’m just very highly skeptical of Harsin as a hire. If we had gotten Napier I’d be psyched. It truthfully dors not feel like our athletics program is in a good place right now, with Coop likely gone and the GOAT athletic year UAT has had. Who knows when (if) the NCAA will allow on campus visits again which we so desperately need.

And to think that just two years ago our AD was on fire.

Surely you jest!!

[AUght2win 6,827]

59 minutes ago, AUwent said:

I’m just very highly skeptical of Harsin as a hire. If we had gotten Napier I’d be psyched. It truthfully dors not feel like our athletics program is in a good place right now, with Coop likely gone and the GOAT athletic year UAT has had. Who knows when (if) the NCAA will allow on campus visits again which we so desperately need.

And to think that just two years ago our AD was on fire.

Why would any of this impact Harsin? Better yet, how would this impact Harsin but NOT Napier?

Getting a little out in left field here. 

[AUwent 3,747]

33 minutes ago, Hank2020 said:

Surely you jest!!

Maybe, I've had an extremely stressful couple of weeks. But I'm talking about our athletics program as a whole, and that's just what I see out of both our football and basketball programs.

[keesler 5,924]

16 hours ago, AUwent said:

I’m just very highly skeptical of Harsin as a hire. If we had gotten Napier I’d be psyched. It truthfully dors not feel like our athletics program is in a good place right now, with Coop likely gone and the GOAT athletic year UAT has had. Who knows when (if) the NCAA will allow on campus visits again which we so desperately need.

And to think that just two years ago our AD was on fire.

Why compare anything at Auburn to what uat's doing?  There's absolutely nothing similar between the schools, athletic programs, how the programs operate, athletic facilities, or coaches, etc. 

Auburn is Auburn. 

[gr82be 14,421]

Dark Horse by my favorite Beatle George Harrison.

You thought that you knew where I was and when
But it looks like they've been foolin' you again
You thought that you'd got me all staked out
But baby looks like I've been breaking out

I'm a dark horse
Running on a dark race course
I'm a blue moon. 

Describes Auburn football in a nutshell. No one's knows yet if Coach Harsin will get us over the hump but I don't understand any of us not being 100% sold on this man. From what I can tell from reading he's lit a fire in the program and that's exactly what was needed. You can't go through the motions and expect to be successful in this league. 1-0 every day isn't just a football metaphor but a life philosophy. That won't win us games in itself but if our players and coaches accept nothing less then Auburn will not be a dark horse much longer. You don't fear competition when you're a champion, you relish it. 

 

 

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

On 3/23/2021 at 5:19 PM, bigbird said:

Solid!

Exactly . Folks fail to remember we have 3 or 4 gimmes each year from small schools that we pay to come get beat. So an 8-4 is really a 4-4 and then there are the Vandys that we should beat most every year. We just have to decide if we want to be the top of the league then no more than 2 losses each year 3 in a bad year. At least playing in November for a chance to go to Atlanta. 

Edited March 25, 2021 by Eagle Eye 7

[Viper 3,128]

On 3/22/2021 at 1:20 AM, AUght2win said:

Bowden took over a 5-5 squad and won his first 17 games.

First 20 games. 

[Viper 3,128]

On 3/22/2021 at 1:20 AM, AUght2win said:

And the 2004 team was laughed at after the dud of the 03 campaign.

I don’t recall 2004 being laughed at preseason by anyone, not with the return of Cadillac & Brown. 

[woodford 3,655]

On 3/24/2021 at 7:30 PM, AUwent said:

Maybe, I've had an extremely stressful couple of weeks. But I'm talking about our athletics program as a whole, and that's just what I see out of both our football and basketball programs.

Basketball program has been historically dreadful. What happened two years ago was a miracle. I would never expect to see it again unless Bruce can keep up the recruiting and keep players.

[woodford 3,655]

29 minutes ago, Viper said:

I don’t recall 2004 being laughed at preseason by anyone, not with the return of Cadillac & Brown. 

I remember thinking the defense losing two big LB's would hurt, but didn't think they'd be bad or anything.

This current Auburn team will only take the field twice this year with a real one sided talent disadvantage (Bama and UGA). Sure, LSU and TAMU have out recruited Auburn recently but Auburn destroyed LSU last year (2020 Auburn was no bueno) and Auburn has faired well in the TAMU series as of late (yes I know we lost last year). It's a new offense and coaching staff, but we're not marching a Vandy-like roster out there. 

[AUght2win 6,827]

48 minutes ago, Viper said:

I don’t recall 2004 being laughed at preseason by anyone, not with the return of Cadillac & Brown. 

17th in the AP Preseason. Pretty disrespectful for all the talent we had returning.

[IronMan70 3,277]

Exactly, we had to fight our way to the top and the other 2 started there.

[AUght2win 6,827]

1 hour ago, IronMan70 said:

Exactly, we had to fight our way to the top and the other 2 started there.

In 2003, Sporting News picked us #1 preseason the year prior and everybody else had us Top 10. AP we were 6th. When we flopped, sportswriters just shrugged and figured this Auburn group was a bunch of duds.

[AUwent 3,747]

On 3/24/2021 at 6:21 PM, AUwent said:

I’m just very highly skeptical of Harsin as a hire. If we had gotten Napier I’d be psyched. It truthfully dors not feel like our athletics program is in a good place right now, with Coop likely gone and the GOAT athletic year UAT has had. Who knows when (if) the NCAA will allow on campus visits again which we so desperately need.

And to think that just two years ago our AD was on fire.

And now our baseball team is winless in SEC play.

Terrible year. WTH is going on?

Edited March 28, 2021 by AUwent